Eduwatch: 1.3 Million Desks Urgently Needed Across Ghana

Africa Education Watch (EDUWATCH) has called on the government of Ghana to make provision of over one million desks for primary school pupils in the country.

Referencing a research by the Educational Management Information System (EMIS), a Research fellow at the educational think tank, Mr Devine Kpe, said 40% of basic schools in the country have no desk.

The menace, it said, is prevalent in the schools in the Northern sector of the country.

“Nationally, 40% (1.3 million) of public primary pupils do not have seating and writing places with 7 regions (North East, Northern, Savanna, Upper East, Upper West, Bono East, and Oti) having rates above the national rate. 

“The percentage of primary pupils without desks is as high as 80% and 70% in the North East and Northern regions, respectively. Cumulatively, 61% (638,008) of public primary pupils in the 7 underserved regions in the education sector do not have desks.”

This comes after the distribution of desks to the Kpandai Education Directorate in the Northern Region.

The Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum announced on Saturday that the government had dispatched some 2,300 dual desks to over 80 basic schools in the Kpandai Education Directorate.

He said 2,700 more desks are expected to be dispatched to other schools in the same educational directorate in two weeks- making up 4, 000 desks.

The desks include dual desks, library chairs and tables, teacher’s chairs, and tables, notice boards, and bookshelves.

“I am convinced that little by little, we will reach the apex in our quest to improve Education in Ghana for our future leaders and generation”, the Minister said in a social media post.

Mr Kpe in reaction commended the government for the provision but noted that much more must be done by the government.

“While commending the Ministry of Education for the ongoing nationwide distribution of 40,000 desks to basic schools, it’s important to mention that 1.3 million desks are urgently needed across the country.”

 He said the Ministry must strategize to get the problem solved.

“MoE must have an innovative way of leveraging existing opportunities for a harmonised funding from corporate and religious bodies, local governments, and CSOs to address the challenge. It is also imperative for the Education Committee of Parliament to prioritise basic education infrastructure (including furniture) in their approval of the 2023 GETFund formula.”

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini